I’m Brooklyn
My mother and father were not quite 20 when I was born, they moved to Florida looking for opportunity and a different kind of life.
My heritage is widely unknown, but I’ve been growing into my namesake, Brooklyn, for a good while now.
During high school I adventured to Arizona where I encountered relationships that would change my life. I learned about a person named Jesus and was inspired to live like he did. I also met young man who would later become my groom.
I didn’t know how to change the world but I did know what was needed for my own life to change, which led me to a career in youth ministry.
We moved to central Florida days after graduation and I began working at a small church. The budget was even smaller so I ended up volunteering at a youth ministry event in exchange for registration and accommodations. It was at National Youth Workers Convention where I learned what it meant to be a youth ministry leader and also where I met lifelong friends.
During one of these volunteer weeks in Sacramento California, I had the privilege of telling my story to the people who had become my friends. I shared about my modeling experience as a child and teenager and how turning down a trip to New York turned into a small town tiara on my head for an entire year. One person at the dinner table was a publisher and encouraged me to write about my life.
Confessions-Of-A-Not-So-Supermodel was written to honor the unexpected journey that led me to youth ministry and to encourage other girls to allow their dreams to take shape in God’s truth about them. Writing had always been a secret dream of mine. Since childhood I dreamt of the “writing life” and even dreamed of living on a palm tree lined street. On the pages of my sixth grade biography I wrote the story of my life and then in a very roundabout way ended up living it.
Since then many passions and dreams have come to life through telling my story and helping others do the same.
We’ve led youth ministries in Florida and Texas and now we lead a church of our own in Lakeland Florida. We do this together with our gorgeous and wildly inspiring daughters, Kirra and Mya. One is named after a beach on the gold coast of Australia, the other named after everything you might find hiking in Peru. I don’t know exactly how a child grows into their name. But mine have done it perfectly without even realizing it.
Since then my husband and I have taken another giant leap in saying yes to starting a new church in Lakeland Florida. Somos means “we are”. The name of our church is Somos Church, aptly named for the vision that it doesn’t take homes or structures to have church, it only takes hearts and hands. The rest of our time is spent raising Kirra and Mya and finding ways to laugh when they lose their adolescent minds. Jesus be near.
I am a passionate traveler and student of culture. I also ride my bike to coffee, to the grocery, to anywhere wishing that maybe one day the streets of Lakeland will resemble the streets of Copenhangen. I have visited every continent but one, run one 26.2 mile marathon and have completed an entire year with water as my only beverage for advocacy and WASH charity.
I have published 6 books and contributed to over 10. Here are a few of those…
- Confessions Of-A-Not-So Supermodel
- Opposite Day
- 99 Thoughts For Junior Highers
- The Kingdom Experiment: Youth Edition
- A Parent’s Guide To Understanding Teenage Girls
- To Save A Life (Devo-To-Go)
- Sacred Life
- Ignite Bible
- It’s Just A Phase: So Don’t Miss It
I currently partner with organizations to stir up ideas, create content, write, and coach. I tend to partner with others to start new things often and most recently created She Grows Conference with my friends Laurie Polich Short and Natasha Sistrunk Robinson. Starting a church, starting a conference, writing a new book, diving into new things, this is the story of me so lately…
lets build something together
I want to get to know you and your heart! If you’re interested in having me speak, consult, write, or share about wonderful essential oils, lets get in touch!
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